Applying To Jobs Online

With dozens of job websites, applying online seems like the way to go. You can sit in your living room, in your PJs, and send out resumes, right?

While applying for jobs online can feel like you’re making progress in your job search, it should by no means be the only job search approach you take. For some, applying for jobs online can make sense more than it does for others. The factor that impacts this the most is where you live.

When It Doesn't Make Sense to Apply to Jobs Online

If you reside in a major industry hub (for your field of study), applying to positions online is not an efficient use of your time. There are often hundreds of applicants for a single opening. When this is the case, you’re better off connecting with people who already work for the company (or who know people who work for the company), and try to get an “in” (aka referral) that way.

If you live in or near a large city, especially one with a bustling scene for your industry there will be hundreds of meetups and events you can attend. For this reason, there’s no excuse to not get out there (literally) and network with others. People get jobs from people.

When you meet people face-to-face, it’s much easier to establish trust and build meaningful relationships. These are the kinds of relationships that can then translate into an introduction or referral. We will be talking more about building your in-person network in a future lesson (your coach will cover it with you in an upcoming session, as well).

Check out this article about a job seeker who built a bot to apply to thousands of jobs, and what he learned from the experience.

When You Should Apply to Jobs Online

For those who live in less densely populated areas or places without a hub or bustling scene in your field of study, there aren’t as many of these in-person networking opportunities. When this is the case, applying to jobs online is one approach you can take. Still, that shouldn’t be the only approach you rely on.

Continue to seek out people who work at companies you’re eyeing, and ask them to get coffee or to get on the phone with you and talk about their experiences at a company/working in a certain field. You can also take your networking efforts online by joining relevant LinkedIn groups, attending virtual conferences, and becoming active in forums.

An advantage of living in a smaller area is that there are fewer practitioners in your field, and thus a smaller pool of applicants who are applying to openings. This means that your resume is less likely to get lost in the crowd—the way it does when there’s a large pool of applicants. Also, when you live in a smaller city, you may be one of the only practitioners in your area. Being one of the few with a specific skill set can give you a significant leg up when it comes to landing interviews and subsequent job offers.

Fun Fact: A recruiter from a global communications and technology leader recently shared with our Career Coaching team that only 10% of their candidates come from online applications; the rest come from their own sourcing, referrals, networks, etc.

Next Steps

Your main focus in your job search (and likely to produce the best results) is to tap into and build your professional network. If you choose to apply to jobs online, keep in mind that people get jobs from people, not from the Internet, so you’re more likely to attain your goals of getting a job offer if you prioritize networking over online applications.

The next Effective Networking unit covers ways you can leverage and build your professional network.